Each year, we will be choosing an expedition somewhere in the
world to explore. This year, the Tracker Foundation founder, Chris
McAmis traveled to Mount Rainier in the State of Washington. The
expedition was comprise of a five day summit attempt of the mountain.

Chris wore a personally wearing a GPS tracking device that reported
back to this web site and allow the visitors to track the progress
via Live Google Maps and GPS Satellite Technology. From this site...
you will be able to view, LIVE Tracking of the climb via Google
Maps. Daily updates will be fed to this site from the mountain.
The link provided below will become active when the expeditions
starts.

Reaching the summit requires a vertical elevation
gain of more than 9,000 feet over a distance of eight or more
miles. Climbers must be in good physical condition and well prepared.
Proper physical conditioning can offset the effects of fatigue
that lead to mistakes and injuries.

Weather, snow, and route conditions can change rapidly,
making the difference between a pleasant and rewarding experience
or tragedy. Before beginning a climb, obtain a current weather
forecast. During your climb, turn back if weather conditions deteriorate.
Severe winter-like storms on the mountain are not uncommon during
the summer.

About the Mountain:

Mount Rainier National Park encompasses 235,625
acres on the west-side of the Cascade Range, and is located about
100 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan
area. Mount Rainier National Park is approximately 97 percent
wilderness and 3 percent National Historic Landmark District and
receives approximately 2 million visitors per year.

At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is the most prominent peak in the
Cascade Range. It dominates the landscape of a large part of western
Washington State. The mountain stands nearly three miles higher
than the lowlands to the west and one and one-half miles higher
than the adjacent mountains. It is an active volcano that last
erupted approximately 150 years ago.

The park is part of a complex ecosystem. Vegetation is diverse,
reflecting the varied climatic and environmental conditions encountered
across the park’s 12,800-feet elevation gradient. Approximately
58 percent of the park is forested, 23 percent is sub alpine parkland,
and the remainder is alpine, half of which is vegetated and the
other half consists of permanent snow and ice. Forest ages range
from less than 100 years old on burned areas and moraines left
by receding glaciers to old-growth stands 1,000 or more years.
Some alpine heather communities have persisted in the park for
up to 10,000 years.

Species known or thought to occur in the park include more than
800 vascular plants, 159 birds, 63 mammals, 16 amphibians, 5 reptiles,
and 18 native fishes. The park contains 26 named glaciers across
9 major watersheds, with 382 lakes and 470 rivers and streams
and over 3,000 acres of other wetland types. Of these vertebrates,
there are 4 federally listed threatened or endangered species
known to occur in the park, including 3 birds and 1 fish. Four
other species historically occurred in the park, but their present
status is unknown including: gray wolf, grizzly bear, Canada lynx,
and Chinook salmon.